


Star-Crossed Traitors

by minhoruns



Category: Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)
Genre: Action & Romance, Canon-Typical Violence, Daddy Issues, Eventual Fluff, Eventual Romance, F/M, POV Original Female Character, Rebellion, Rogue One Spoilers, Slow Build, Slow Burn, Slow Romance, Some Humor, Somebody Lives/Not Everyone Dies
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-02-06
Updated: 2017-03-07
Packaged: 2018-09-22 11:18:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,777
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9605540
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/minhoruns/pseuds/minhoruns
Summary: The man blinked once. “Yeah…yeah. I’m the pilot. I’m the pilot.” He nodded, repeating himself for reassurance. Not for them, but for himself.[Mira Esme never thought she'd find another Imperial traitor, that is until she's recruited by Captain Cassian Andor and meets the ex-Imperial pilot, Bodhi Rook.]





	1. The Side Effect of Rebellions

Mira sat at the desk in the medical hall, tapping her fingers against the glass top, staring out the window. Her chin rested on her hand, her lab coat sleeves rolled up to her elbows. There hadn’t been many patients in the medical wing on Yavin 4 lately. The most exciting things she’d been doing were routine checkups and paperwork. This wasn’t exactly what she had in mind when agreeing to help the Rebellion.   
A flashing light caught Mira’s attention, coming from her com on the edge of her desk. She pressed the tip of her finger against it.  
“Mira Esme,” she said, pulling her finger away and awaiting a response.   
“Miss Esme? This is Mon Mothma. I need to speak with you in the conference hall.”  
Her eyes widened as she sat up, quickly setting her finger on the com again to respond. “Of course! Right away.”  
Sliding out of her lab coat, Mira hung it up with her other things, switching off the lights and closing the door behind her. The hall was empty, the occasional medical droid heading in and out of various rooms, and she stared at her reflection in every window she passed by. Mira had managed to braid and pin back her dark curly hair, ignoring the pieces that wouldn’t stay in place and accepting that it would never look perfect. She was lucky enough that the pins stayed against her scalp half of the time.   
Mira scanned her hand on the conference hall door once she came to the end of the medical wing. Senator Mon Mothma was one of the most important leaders in the Rebellion and Mira had only spoken to her a few times. Once when the Rebellion first found Mira and again when she was recruited as a medic. If she summoned someone to speak with her, it was always important.  
“Senator Mothma, it’s an honor to speak with you again,” Mira said once she stepped into the room, walking over to the table in the center.  
“The honor is all mine,” she replied, motioning for Mira to take the seat on the opposite side of the table. Mira nodded, re-tucking the back of her sweater into her black trousers, tugging on the sleeves and pulling them over her hands as she sat down.   
“Now, Miss Esme, we are all a part of a rebellion, yes?”  
Mira nodded.  
“And all rebellions come with a side effect,” Mon Mothma said, pressing the palms of her hands against the tabletop, leaning forward. “Are you aware of what that side effect is?”  
Mira’s eyes flickered to the ground, staring at her boots. “Me?” She cleared her throat and looked over at Senator Mothma, her crisp white robes reminding her of home. Her old home. “A traitor that is.”  
The senator pursed her lips together, folding her arms over her chest. “Not particularly you,” she started, Mira watching from the corner of her eye as a man entered the room. He sported a brown Rebel Alliance jacket with a blaster at his side. “Side effects are negative results of something positive. You, my dear, are not a negative result of this rebellion. We are more than welcome to allowing traitors of the Empire to join us. But with traitors comes the possibility of Imperial spies and the need to be cautious.”  
Mira’s mouth flashed a smile, disappearing as quickly as it came, her gaze wandering around the room before settling on the man who entered earlier. “So, Senator Mothma, what was is it, exactly, that you called me here for? I’m assuming it wasn’t to educate me in the department of Imperial traitors or to remind myself of my roots.” She laughed nervously, turning away from the rebel and resting her eyes back on the senator, standing to her feet and placing her hands behind her back.  
Mothma shook her head, gesturing to the man at her side. “Mira, this is Cassian Andor, one of the best captains this rebellion has to offer. You may recognize him as the leader of your rescue party when we found you a few years back.”  
“Of course,” Mira said softly, tilting her head down in respect. “Nice to see you again, Captain Andor.”  
Cassian nodded, tucking his hands under his arms. “Always a pleasure, Mira. Or is it Doctor Esme now?”  
Mira smiled, shaking her head. “I’m flattered, but not quite.”  
“Well, if I know you well enough, I’m sure you’ll receive the title soon. But back to the matters at hand. Senator Mothma called you here because we have some information to share with you.”  
With a raised brow, Mira cocked her head slightly to the side, removing her hands from behind her back and resting them on the edge of the table. “What kind of information?”  
“We have been informed that an Imperial pilot is harboring a message for the rebellion, but has been apprehended on Jedha,” Senator Mothma responded, gently tapping the blue and luminescent part of the table with her forefinger, bringing up a holo-image. Mira took an unexpected step back, tripping over the chair behind her. She pressed her hands against the seat of the chair, bent over, her hair falling out of place and into her eyes.   
Mira saw the captain stifle a laugh, one hand covering his mouth, the other arm crossed over his chest. She straightened herself up, blowing her hair out of her narrowed eyes and wrapping her arms around her waist.   
Mon Mothma cleared her throat, regaining the attention of both Mira and Cassian before continuing. “Thank you. Now, we have word that the Empire is constructing a weapon of mass destruction. Rumor has it that it can destroy entire planets.”  
“The Death Star,” Mira whispered, remembering that her father had mentioned it back when she was with the Empire.  
“What was that?”  
“The Death Star. That’s what the weapon is called. They’ve been working on it for many years.”  
Cassian took a step forward, his brow furrowed and his arm outstretched to the holo-image displayed over the table. “And you never thought of bringing this up before now?”  
Mira opened her mouth to speak, to defend herself, but Cassian kept talking. “Mira, this thing is said to be able to destroy entire planets. Do you know how many lives can be killed with, who knows, the flip of a switch?”  
Mon Mothma lifted a hand, Cassian immediately stopping. “Captain Andor, don’t be too hard on the poor girl.”  
“I-I’m sorry,” Mira said, watching the senator take the holo-image down. “I thought you already knew.”  
Cassian stared hard at Mira, not removing his gaze until he gave a single nod and turned away. “We have a feeling that this Imperial pilot’s message has something to do with this, this Death Star weapon,” Cassian said, waving his hand in the air as he spoke about the weapon.  
“And what do you expect me to do with this information?” Mira asked, lowering her arms to her sides and taking a step closer to the table.  
Chuckling, Cassian turned back to face Mira, grabbing his blaster from the holster at his side and sliding it across the table. “I want you to come with me. To rescue him.”  
Mira stared at the blaster on the table, hesitantly reaching out a hand to pick it up. It felt like forever since she last used one of these. “Why me?” She checked the safety on the blaster before she dared to point it anywhere and looked back up at the captain. Cassian's mouth twitched, his lips curling up into a smirk.  
“You defied the Empire once. It’ll give him someone to relate to. Make him feel more welcome.”  
“How do you know I’m fit for a rescue mission like this? For all you know I don’t even know how to use this thing,” Mira said, holding up the blaster, the nose of the barrel pointed at the ceiling. She had to admit, compared to the lack of work she had to do at the rebel base, this offer sounded like a dream. But Mira honestly didn’t think she was the right person for the job. Sure, it’d be nice for the pilot to hear that he’s not the only one defying the Empire, but a rescue mission wasn’t typically for anyone working in the medical department. Medics only left if the crew had the possibility of becoming injured.  
Cassian crossed his arms. “Mira, if you didn’t know how to use a blaster you wouldn’t have checked the safety before pointing it anywhere. And don’t think I don’t know about your background. You didn’t come from some poor family scraping to get by. Your father worked directly for the upper hand of the Empire. Your family was highly respected. It’s not easy to run away from that, but you managed to.”  
Mira tensed as he spoke about her family, placing the blaster back on the table. “Fine, I’ll go. But I’m only doing it to help out a fellow traitor.”  
“And that’s all we could’ve asked for,” Mon Mothma said, smiling. “Now, Cassian, I need you to come with me. I’ve been informed that our rebels have returned from Wobani."

**

“Jyn Erso?” Mira asked, eyebrow raised and hands shoved into her pant pockets. “As in Galen Erso’s daughter?”  
Cassian nodded. “That’s the one. She has connections with Saw Gerrera.” He stopped and looked over at Mira. “We’re hoping he’ll work with us if Jyn is there.”  
Mira nodded, not being able to help but think about Galen. He and her father knew each other, so she had been around him quite a bit. After returning to the Empire without Jyn, Galen had taken more of a liking to Mira. Of course Mira didn’t replace her. Galen loved Jyn too much to ever think of doing that. He often would daydream about her being successful in whatever field of work she found herself in. Mira wondered how Galen would react to his daughter being an Imperial prisoner needing rescue by the Rebellion. She almost smiled at the thought.  
“Captain, I need to speak with you,” a voice said from behind the two. Cassian motioned for Mira to continue to his ship before turning to talk to the rebel behind them. She headed to the ship, noticing that Jyn had made it there first, crouching next to a bag. Mira paused, wondering if Jyn knew who she was. She couldn’t remember if they had ever met when they were younger, since it was so long ago, but she decided to not mention it.  
“Hey, Kaytoo!” Mira said, swinging around the corner to stand next to where Cassian’s droid stood. They had worked together more than she and Cassian.  
“Miss Esme, hello. When the captain told me you were coming I was most delighted.”  
Mira smiled at the once Imperial droid, feeling like their shared roots was why they had gotten together so well. “Cassian should be here in a second.” Mira turned her attention to Jyn who had been studying her as she spoke so comfortably with K-2.   
“So, what exactly are you on this mission for again?” Jyn asked, looking down at the blaster in hand after speaking.  
“Mira is a medical worker, but she is here as a fellow traitor to the Empire,” K-2 answered. Mira turned around and K-2 a stern look, but faced Jyn again and smiled.  
“The pilot we are looking for is an Imperial traitor, as am I, so I’m here solely for him, to make him feel more comfortable. Just as you are here for Gerrera.”  
“From what I know at least you had a choice.”  
“The medical wing at this time is very empty. There wasn’t much for Miss Esme to do here anyway,” K-2 said. Cassian finally entered the ship and headed straight for the pilot’s seat. Mira found herself sighing in relief, not comfortable with the small talk. She couldn’t tell if Jyn recognized who she was, and avoiding bringing it up was more difficult than she imagined.   
“All right, let’s get going,” Cassian announced, placing the headset over his shaggy hair.  
“Why is it that she gets a blaster and I don’t?” K-2 asked Cassian, gesturing to Jyn. Cassian didn’t turn to look at who he was pointing to and waved his hand in the air, dismissing the comment.  
“I gave it to her,” he muttered, getting ready to start up the ship, flipping various switches and motioning for K-2 to take a seat and co-pilot.   
“Not Miss Esme, Cassian. The other one.”  
“What?” Cassian asked, his hand freezing over the ignition as he spun in his seat so he was facing Jyn. He got to his feet and took two large strides toward her, holding out an arm. “Where’d you get that?”  
“I found it.”  
K-2 shook his head. “I find that answer vague and unconvincing.”  
“Give it here,” Cassian said, shaking his hand for emphasis. Jyn stared at his hand and then looked over at the blaster at Mira's side. Her eyes finally settled on the blaster again. There was a great deal of silence, Jyn's gaze only occasionally flickering up to Cassian as she debated handing it over.  
Jyn hooked the blaster to her waist and stood from her spot crouched on the floor of the ship. “Trust goes both ways.”  
Cassian narrowed his eyes, not removing his stare from Jyn for a few seconds longer than normal. He muttered the word fine and turned to get back to the pilot’s seat.  
Mira shrugged when Jyn looked over at her and reached up to hold on to the scaffolding over her head as the ship started up. She couldn't blame Cassian and K-2 for being so paranoid about Jyn having a blaster in her possession. Mira didn't quite trust her herself.  
"Do you want to know the probability of her using that against you?" K-2 asked Cassian as he sat in the co-pilot's seat. "It's very high."


	2. He's the Pilot

They left K-2 on the ship once they reached Jedha, wanting to bring the least amount of attention to themselves as possible. Mira hadn’t been on many planets in her lifetime, and the ones she had been on weren’t as dreadful and dusty as this moon. Of course she knew of Tatooine and Jakku, but never dreamed of visiting.   
“Cassian, do we have a plan?” Mira asked softly once they entered Jedha City. She tugged on the scarf wrapped around her head and neck to keep out the blowing sand and shield her face from any Imperial troopers likely to recognize her. There was a small chance of that happening, but she wanted to be safe, for herself and the team. It was her first mission. Mira didn’t want to jeopardize it.  
“Scope out the place, see if we get any leads on where to find Gerrera.”  
Mira scrunched up her nose, pushing the scarf back behind her ear so she could see Cassian and Jyn from the corner of her eye. It was a rubbish plan, even Cassian knew that much, but since Mira had no better plan to put on the table, she kept her mouth shut.   
The town was bustling at this time of day, the streets and markets crowded, hiding the three rebels as they made their way through. The many busy bodies surrounding them warmed her up a little. After all, Jedha was a cold desert, as if they replaced all the snow on Hoth with sand and Mira didn’t like it one bit.   
There were more troopers stationed there than Mira imagined. Until that very moment, she didn’t realize how important Jedha City and the Kyber mines truly were to the construction of the Death Star. Her father didn’t generally talk about it unless they made great progress. Then he’d gush about it over dinner, asking ‘isn’t it just wonderful?’ and Mira would smile politely and nod, not fully understanding at the time how dangerous it was.   
Mira looked over at Cassian, whose face was hidden behind the fur lining of the hood on his coat. “I have a bad feeling about this,” she whispered, nudging Cassian slightly to gain his attention.  
“You did know that Jedha is currently a war zone, right?” Cassian whispered back, his face appearing from behind his fur hood as he turned his head.  
“Um, well, not particularly,” Mira muttered, tugging on her scarf.  
Cassian shook his head, letting out a sigh. “Despite your father being part of it, you really know nothing about the war you’re fighting.”  
“My father is not a part of any war, Cassian. Just because he was working on the—“  
“Mira, every Imperial leader is a part of this war. That includes your father whether you want to admit it or not.”  
Mira wanted to say more, but she knew Cassian was right. Her father wasn’t a good man, something she realized far too late. She always liked to think that there was some good in him still, and maybe there was, but Mira would never get it to overpower his love and loyalty to the Empire.  
“Okay, you two stay here and don’t move. I’ll be right back,” Cassian said, pointing to the ground and giving both Mira and Jyn a stern look. He turned away and Mira let her eyes wander around the town, avoiding eye contact with the troopers and Jyn as well. Jyn didn’t say much to her, but Mira got the feeling that she didn’t like her all that much. Maybe she knew who she was or at least who her father was. Either way, Mira wasn’t planning on bringing it up.  
Someone started talking, grabbing the girls’ attention. Mira watched Jyn spin around, her hand flying up to her neck, and she tilted her head as Jyn walked toward a man sitting against a nearby wall. She lowered the scarf from her head, tempted to take a few steps forward herself.  
“Excellent Kyber quality, one of a kind,” he said quietly, nodding.   
“How did you know I—“  
The man laughed. “I may not be able to see, but I can sense the force as it moves around everyone.”  
Another man appeared behind him, long shaggy hair, scruffy beard, bigger build. He looked quite intimidating, but his face was soft and nonaggressive. “Ignore Chirrut. He likes to think he’s strong with the force. Thinking like that will do no one any good.” His gaze flickered over to Mira who watched from the distance but didn’t say anything.  
“Baze doesn’t believe in the force, but it’s there,” Chirrut said, tossing his staff from one hand to the other. “It’s always there.”  
“Jyn! We aren’t here to make friends,” Cassian said from behind the two, nodding his head in the direction away from Chirrut and Baze. Mira pulled her scarf back over her braids and took a couple of steps to stand at Cassian’s side. Jyn stared at the others for a second longer before turning away and following Mira and Cassian.  
Something felt off to Mira as they made their way through the city, her hand hovering over the blaster at her side. Jyn’s hand was wrapped around her blaster as well, staring up at the tops of the buildings. Before Mira could figure out what was happening, Cassian grabbed her by the shoulders, pushing her underneath him as they moved to the side, blaster shots coming from every direction. Mira crouched behind a stack of wooden boxes, her blaster in hand, watching Jyn fight off the troopers singlehandedly. Gerrera's men had attacked the troopers from the rooftops, turning the streets into a battlefield. Eyebrows raised, Mira slowly stood from her hiding spot, a blaster shooting just above her head, hitting the wall behind her. She rose her arms and took a few shots, nailing the trooper that had aimed for her head. Her scarf had fallen from her hair and her breathing was heavy. K-2 had appeared once all the dust cleared and Mira let out a sigh of relief.  
Chirrut stood off to the side, motioning for them to follow him and Baze. Mira glanced over at Cassian, who nodded, and she took a few steps forward, both hands still tightly gripping her blaster. But before they got far, more troopers arrived at the scene. Chirrut proved himself useful as he warded off the majority of the troops, swinging his staff effortlessly and kicking his legs higher than Mira ever could. She was impressed with how well he worked despite being blind, wondering if he really could use the force to see. Once Chirrut had almost fought off the rest of the troopers, Baze impatiently shot down the rest.  
“You almost shot me!” Chirrut shouted, hitting his staff against the ground. Baze smirked, hefting the large blaster onto his shoulder and saying, “You’re welcome.”  
Mira found herself smiling and hooked her blaster back to her side. The wind picked up, blowing her scarf across her face, but once she could see again more troopers stood in front of her and the others.  
“Where are you taking these people?” one asked K-2, and Mira gave a sideways glance to both Cassian and then Jyn, hoping K-2 could get them out of the situation.   
“I’m taking these prisoners to…prison.”  
“He’s taking us to—“ Cassian stopped once K-2 slapped him, bringing a hand up to his cheek and turning to look at Mira and Jyn.   
“Quiet!”   
The troopers, walked closer to them, the one who spoke earlier grabbing Mira’s arm. “Nice try.”

**

Mira struggled to get free from the guard’s tight grip on her arm, staring at the back of Cassian’s calm stature. Her jacket was sliding off of her shoulders and the collar of her sweater was chafing her neck. She couldn’t believe they got caught and on her first mission! Mira figured it wasn’t entirely their fault. They had no idea that Gerrera’s men would strike an attack on the Empire’s troops stationed there.  
“You can’t just lock us up like this!” Mira exclaimed, being pushed into the prison cell with the others, her blaster snatched from her side. “Hey!”  
Mira tried swiping the blaster back, but was kicked in the gut in return, forcing her back into the bars separating their cell from the next. Her body crashed into the cement floor, pain shooting through both arms as she tried to break her fall. Hair fell from the pins previously keeping it against her scalp and Mira squeezed her eyes shut.   
“On that note, keep it,” she croaked, rolling onto her back and holding her head in her hands, groaning slightly. The pain wasn’t anything compared to when she had crashed her ship after leaving the Empire, but she hadn’t felt much pain since then. The medical field was typically pain free, for the doctors at least. As she steadied her breathing, Mira opened her eyes, finding the man in the cell next to theirs staring back at her. The hair framing his face had fallen from the messy ponytail at the nape of his neck and the scruffy beginning of a beard was forming on his chin. She slowly sat up, tilting her head as she further studied him. Chunky goggles were stuck to his hairline and he wore an Imperial patch on his jacket.  
“Are you the pilot?” Mira asked, leaning closer to the bars separating them. He just stared back, either not understanding her or not knowing how to respond. It had to be him. Mira couldn’t help but smile, turning around to meet Cassian’s gaze.  
“The pilot with the message?” He asked, walking to Mira’s side and speaking up for the first time since they had been captured by Saw Gerrera’s men. He turned to the prisoner. “Is that you?”  
The man blinked once. “Yeah…yeah. I’m the pilot. I’m the pilot.” He nodded, repeating himself for reassurance. Not for them, but for himself. Mira turned to look at Cassian who had a smirk creeping up his cheek as he moved to the front cell door.  
“Are you with the Rebellion?” The man asked, gaining Mira’s attention, noticing that he was eyeing her jacket, specifically the Rebellion symbol pinned to the inner flap of the collar. She looked down at the Imperial patch of the sleeve of his own jacket, remembering when she too wore the same one. The pilot noticed her gaze drifting to his patch. “I-I’m a rebel, too. I’m not with the Empire anymore.” He spoke with a shaky voice, his gaze always resting on something in the distance, but he was still paying attention. There was just something bugging him in the back of his mind. Something he couldn’t shake off.  
Making eye contact, Mira gave him a small smile. “I know.” She paused, eyes flickering down to the ground. “I defied the Empire a few years ago. You’re not alone.”  
The pilot’s eyes lit up, his head cocked to the side as he studied her face, almost looking like he recognized her. His mouth opened to reply, but the ground started to shake and rocks and dust fell from overhead. Mira spun around, watching as Chirrut remained still and Baze turned his attention to Cassian.  
“Any progress on the lock?” He asked, stretching as if preparing to rip open the bars with his own two hands.  
Cassian waved his hand, dismissing the comment, and gave the lock one last tug before the bar door swung open. He pressed a finger against the com on his wrist. “Kay, I need you to bring the ship around. Mira and the others will head out to you while I go find Jyn. Don’t leave without us.”  
Mira scurried to her feet, turning the corner and fumbling with the lock of the pilot’s cell door. There was no way they were leaving without the pilot.  
“Hurry, Mira. This whole place is going to collapse,” Chirrut said from behind her. She nodded, not bothering to turn around and say something back. She was too frustrated with the lock to do anything.  
“Don’t worry,” she said to the pilot, biting her lip as she concentrated on the lock. “We’ll get you out of-“  
A blaster shot hit the lock, making Mira jump back, whipping her head around to find a grinning Baze, his blaster pointed at the door. “You’re welcome.”  
Mira pulled back the cell door, reaching out a hand to help the pilot to his feet. He stared at it for a second before grabbing it and standing.  
“What’s your name?” She asked, having to look up at him now that they were standing, but the shaking intensified and larger pieces of stone began to break away from the ceiling. She tossed her hands to her head and the pilot grabbed her forearm, pushing her underneath his torso to block the debris from falling on her small body. Slowly, he led her out of the cell.  
“Bodhi,” he called out to Mira as they ran down the hall, looking for the exit. “My name is Bodhi.”  
Mira smiled, looking back up at the only other Imperial traitor she had met. “I’m Mira. Welcome to the Rebellion.”  
Once they had made it outside, Mira shielded her eyes from the light and the sand was being stirred up into the air, creating a large cloud of dust. The sky was pale orange, the sandy dust making it hard to see anything. She found herself twirling around as she walked, her pace slower than the others. Mira hoped she wouldn’t find what she was looking for, but stopped in her tracks when she did, one hand flying up to her open mouth as the other searched for something, grabbing the hem of a jacket. Someone grabbed her arm, slowly tugging her to come with them.  
“Come on!” Bodhi yelled from behind her, yanking Mira in the direction of Cassian’s ship, glancing up at the sky where she was staring. He stopped moving. “Is that…?”  
“The Death Star,” Mira whispered, turning away and staring at the pilot who tightened his grip on her arm. “We have to go. Now!”  
They ran faster now, now knowing what was at stake, and made it to Cassian’s ship. Mira was coughing from the excess dust in the air and slid her back down the wall of the ship until she was sat on the floor, her eyes closed. She hadn’t even bothered to check to make sure everyone made it back safely. All Mira could think about was the blasted Death Star and how her father aided in constructing it.


End file.
